How to Tackle London's Food Markets

London isn't short of a food market or five. The most famous being Borough Market, and it's an absolute treat. Not cheap, of course, but any kind of venture into London Bridge wouldn't be the same without a quick wonder around the stalls.
But there's a way of tackling the market so you get the best out of it. Otherwise you'll have spent all of your money in ten minutes.
Walk around first. There's no rush! Wander around, look at all the tasty things. Unless there's something really special, don't buy anything until you've walked around once. You'll rarely miss out on something, and this way you'll get to check our prices. There's a lot of similar stuff so you can make sure you're getting the most with your money.
Try everything you can. Not every stall does samples, but you'll find many that do (and more if you ask nicely). You're at a food market, you do have to try stuff. You won't even need lunch if you go on a very generous day.
Don't go in the middle of the day. Whether you go early or late is up to you, but there are plus sides to both. Going early means that you get all of the good stuff. But, if you go late (especially on the final day of the week), you'll get some really great bargains. But you'll also get less choice. Whatever works, the middle of the day is not your friend. Unless you like hoards of hungry tourists.
Be clever with your carrying. Don't buy the heavy stuff first. Don't buy anything that needs chilling until you're just about to leave. Make sure you give your arms a break and you'll enjoy your trip much more. Besides, if you've got nothing that needs chilling or freezing, you can stop off in a pub on your way 'round.
Enjoy! Yes, there's lots of great stuff to see and try, but it'll be warm, and it'll be busy. Go with it, enjoy. Have fun and make sure you eat far more than you should. That's the whole reason for going, surely?
Of course, if after you've looked around and tasted a few morsels here and there, you might find the prospect of lugging a load of groceries home and cooking a bit overwhelming. You could instead book a table a great restaurant and have one of London's truly great chefs do all the hard work for you.
Image courtesy of Tim Green.